Disclaimer: Pacific Blue belongs to the likes of Bill Nuss and North Hall Productions.
Note: Jack is fictional and only exists as to fill space. And because I have a thing for turtles at the moment.
Timeline: Just after 'House Party'
What If . . . ? - Part Two
By Christy Maguire
Tony sat at the bar and watched as Chris and Tc tried to stay oblivious. Comical really when all they were succeeding to do was the exact opposite. Tony had suspected something about those two for several months. Tc was using Chris's brand new Audi as an excuse to ride around with her and take her out but it was the way that he had a hand on her leg at all times that was the dead giveaway.
The ring of his mobile shook his thoughts and Palermo hurried to answer it. Tonight was the first night in a while that Jessie had been allowed out at night after being shot and had to promise that she'd contact him if a problem arose.
It wasn't Jess though. It was Helen ringing up to make sure Tony was still alive after the siege at the firehouse that day and so there was still someone to palm off her child onto.
He assured his ex that he was fine and then went back to watching Tc tease Victor about his new found dress sense since playing a homosexual in an undercover operation.
'How's Helen?' Cory asked. She had been sitting quietly for most of the night.
'I think this time it's her back that's giving her the most problems.'
Cory grinned. She'd been Tony's main counselor as most of the others had their own problems. 'Well, just be thankful it isn't her ankles as well.'
'No, that's next week.' He said with a grin. 'Did the chicken place offer you a job?'
Cory rolled her eyes. 'I'm so glad that's over but you'd think they could have left the place a little cleaner. You should have seen the state of my desk when we finally got back in.'
'Oh well. At least I had Victor guarding mine.'
It had been this way for most of the night. Five friends and a fiancée sitting in a bar, drinking to the fact that they were all still alive after a very hectic day.
Tony rose to his feet. 'I think I might head off home.' He said to Cory but she grabbed his hand and pulled him back to his seat.
'No way. Jack needs some peace and quiet after having Jessie under house arrest for the past few weeks.' She said, talking about Jessie's pet turtle.
'Alright then. I won't leave, but I'm taking a walk.' He said and jumped away before Cory could grab him.
'Mind if I join you?' Cory persisted.
'Sure.' Tony replied suspiciously.
Brolin had told his daughter of a lovely little bar down by the pier and Chris had decided to check it out so the scenery was great.
'What's the matter Lieutenant?' Cory asked him as the noise of the bar faded into the background.
'I could ask you the same thing.' He replied.
'I'm worried about you. You haven't been acting like yourself lately. Is there something I can do?'
Tony sighed. 'No not really. Nothing a permanent vacation won't fix.'
Cory's jaw dropped in surprise. '*You* are thinking of retiring?'
He shrugged.
'But why? We need you here.'
'I don't know about that Cory. Tc could handle a promotion which would leave you, Chris and Victor to battle for sergeant. Besides, I don't think my hearts in the job anymore.'
'No way. You're just going through a rough patch. I mean with all that's you've been through these last few months it's no wonder.' Cory put a hand on his arm. 'We do need you Lieutenant. Victor won't want a promotion now that he and Linda are engaged. Tc won't want the stress of running the firehouse now that he and Chris are...'
'So there is something going on between them.'
'Yes, but don't mention it. They are really happy together. Chris was even thinking of going back to PR so they could be together.'
'What about you? Wouldn't you like to be sergeant?'
'Yes, but like you said, I'd have to fight Chris and Victor for it and I don't want to do that.'
Tony sighed. 'Somedays I'd just like to grab Jess and take her back to Italia. Life was always much simpler then.'
'Well, the summer holidays is coming up. I'm sure she'd love to go. It might be your last chance to get out for a while with Helen being so close to due.'
'I don't know Cory...'
'Hey, are you two going to come back or what?' Linda called out to them. She and Victor were walking hand-in-hand along the pier towards them. Chris and Tc were nowhere to be seen.
'Come on.' Cory said giving Tony a nudge. 'We'd better save Chris and Tc from doing something they'll regret.
Tony sighed and flopped into the chair. He'd finally managed to extract himself from Cory and make a getaway but not before another five or so beers.
He started to dose off when something fell on him. He jumped out of his seat and looked back at a turtle that'd found glee in making himself at home in the extra space of the vacated seat.
It also meant that Jessie had made it home.
Tony opened the door slightly to check on her. The music wasn't on which usually meant she was asleep. Unfortunately she was having a bad dream, or so Tony thought from the excess rustling of the bed sheets and he turned on the light as to wake up Jessie.
'Dad!' Her accusing voice yelled as she pulled the sheet across herself exposing Todd who dived to the floor on the opposite side of the bed pulling Jack's cage to the floor with him and spreading turtle matter all over the carpet.
'Jessie what the hell are you doing?!' He said with his jaw hanging open as if he didn't already know.
'It's nothing.' She said as she grabbed her clothes from the floor.
'Yeah right.' He said sarcastically turning his attention to Todd. 'You have five minutes to get out of my house before my gun comes into play. And if you lay a finger on my daughter every again I'll get a restraining order.' With that Tony left the room and went to find Jack.
Jessie found her father in his room playing with her turtle an hour or so later. She's said her good-byes to Todd and had cleaned Jack's house and her carpet. She'd also disposed of any 'evidence' left behind.
'Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd get home so early.' Jessie said turning on her charm.
Tony wasn't to buy it though. 'I thought we'd gone through this already Jessie. I've told you before that I don't want you sleeping with anybody let alone Todd for the simple reason that you are too young.'
'But we used protection.'
Tony snorted. 'I don't care. It doesn't always work.' He signed. 'How am I supposed to trust you ever again?'
'That's so unfair.'
'Is it?'
'Look Dad, it just happened...'
'Which is that same reason that I'll be a father in three months. Jessie, you have no idea how this could affect the rest of your life and even worse, I don't know how it will affect the rest of your life. How about giving me a bit of a hand and keep out of trouble for a while, huh?'
'Okay Dad.' Jessie said and hugged her father.
'Here.' Tony said handing over the turtle. 'He's had a big night.'
Jessie was almost to the door when...'Jessie?'
'Yes.'
'Your grounded.'
Note: Jack is fictional and only exists as to fill space. And because I have a thing for turtles at the moment.
Timeline: Just after 'House Party'
What If . . . ? - Part Two
By Christy Maguire
Tony sat at the bar and watched as Chris and Tc tried to stay oblivious. Comical really when all they were succeeding to do was the exact opposite. Tony had suspected something about those two for several months. Tc was using Chris's brand new Audi as an excuse to ride around with her and take her out but it was the way that he had a hand on her leg at all times that was the dead giveaway.
The ring of his mobile shook his thoughts and Palermo hurried to answer it. Tonight was the first night in a while that Jessie had been allowed out at night after being shot and had to promise that she'd contact him if a problem arose.
It wasn't Jess though. It was Helen ringing up to make sure Tony was still alive after the siege at the firehouse that day and so there was still someone to palm off her child onto.
He assured his ex that he was fine and then went back to watching Tc tease Victor about his new found dress sense since playing a homosexual in an undercover operation.
'How's Helen?' Cory asked. She had been sitting quietly for most of the night.
'I think this time it's her back that's giving her the most problems.'
Cory grinned. She'd been Tony's main counselor as most of the others had their own problems. 'Well, just be thankful it isn't her ankles as well.'
'No, that's next week.' He said with a grin. 'Did the chicken place offer you a job?'
Cory rolled her eyes. 'I'm so glad that's over but you'd think they could have left the place a little cleaner. You should have seen the state of my desk when we finally got back in.'
'Oh well. At least I had Victor guarding mine.'
It had been this way for most of the night. Five friends and a fiancée sitting in a bar, drinking to the fact that they were all still alive after a very hectic day.
Tony rose to his feet. 'I think I might head off home.' He said to Cory but she grabbed his hand and pulled him back to his seat.
'No way. Jack needs some peace and quiet after having Jessie under house arrest for the past few weeks.' She said, talking about Jessie's pet turtle.
'Alright then. I won't leave, but I'm taking a walk.' He said and jumped away before Cory could grab him.
'Mind if I join you?' Cory persisted.
'Sure.' Tony replied suspiciously.
Brolin had told his daughter of a lovely little bar down by the pier and Chris had decided to check it out so the scenery was great.
'What's the matter Lieutenant?' Cory asked him as the noise of the bar faded into the background.
'I could ask you the same thing.' He replied.
'I'm worried about you. You haven't been acting like yourself lately. Is there something I can do?'
Tony sighed. 'No not really. Nothing a permanent vacation won't fix.'
Cory's jaw dropped in surprise. '*You* are thinking of retiring?'
He shrugged.
'But why? We need you here.'
'I don't know about that Cory. Tc could handle a promotion which would leave you, Chris and Victor to battle for sergeant. Besides, I don't think my hearts in the job anymore.'
'No way. You're just going through a rough patch. I mean with all that's you've been through these last few months it's no wonder.' Cory put a hand on his arm. 'We do need you Lieutenant. Victor won't want a promotion now that he and Linda are engaged. Tc won't want the stress of running the firehouse now that he and Chris are...'
'So there is something going on between them.'
'Yes, but don't mention it. They are really happy together. Chris was even thinking of going back to PR so they could be together.'
'What about you? Wouldn't you like to be sergeant?'
'Yes, but like you said, I'd have to fight Chris and Victor for it and I don't want to do that.'
Tony sighed. 'Somedays I'd just like to grab Jess and take her back to Italia. Life was always much simpler then.'
'Well, the summer holidays is coming up. I'm sure she'd love to go. It might be your last chance to get out for a while with Helen being so close to due.'
'I don't know Cory...'
'Hey, are you two going to come back or what?' Linda called out to them. She and Victor were walking hand-in-hand along the pier towards them. Chris and Tc were nowhere to be seen.
'Come on.' Cory said giving Tony a nudge. 'We'd better save Chris and Tc from doing something they'll regret.
Tony sighed and flopped into the chair. He'd finally managed to extract himself from Cory and make a getaway but not before another five or so beers.
He started to dose off when something fell on him. He jumped out of his seat and looked back at a turtle that'd found glee in making himself at home in the extra space of the vacated seat.
It also meant that Jessie had made it home.
Tony opened the door slightly to check on her. The music wasn't on which usually meant she was asleep. Unfortunately she was having a bad dream, or so Tony thought from the excess rustling of the bed sheets and he turned on the light as to wake up Jessie.
'Dad!' Her accusing voice yelled as she pulled the sheet across herself exposing Todd who dived to the floor on the opposite side of the bed pulling Jack's cage to the floor with him and spreading turtle matter all over the carpet.
'Jessie what the hell are you doing?!' He said with his jaw hanging open as if he didn't already know.
'It's nothing.' She said as she grabbed her clothes from the floor.
'Yeah right.' He said sarcastically turning his attention to Todd. 'You have five minutes to get out of my house before my gun comes into play. And if you lay a finger on my daughter every again I'll get a restraining order.' With that Tony left the room and went to find Jack.
Jessie found her father in his room playing with her turtle an hour or so later. She's said her good-byes to Todd and had cleaned Jack's house and her carpet. She'd also disposed of any 'evidence' left behind.
'Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd get home so early.' Jessie said turning on her charm.
Tony wasn't to buy it though. 'I thought we'd gone through this already Jessie. I've told you before that I don't want you sleeping with anybody let alone Todd for the simple reason that you are too young.'
'But we used protection.'
Tony snorted. 'I don't care. It doesn't always work.' He signed. 'How am I supposed to trust you ever again?'
'That's so unfair.'
'Is it?'
'Look Dad, it just happened...'
'Which is that same reason that I'll be a father in three months. Jessie, you have no idea how this could affect the rest of your life and even worse, I don't know how it will affect the rest of your life. How about giving me a bit of a hand and keep out of trouble for a while, huh?'
'Okay Dad.' Jessie said and hugged her father.
'Here.' Tony said handing over the turtle. 'He's had a big night.'
Jessie was almost to the door when...'Jessie?'
'Yes.'
'Your grounded.'
